Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Mushroom Olu & Taher

Lousy picture but heavenly Taste

(This was cooked last Tuesday(02/24/09) and drafted last Wednesday)

To go with the President's fiery speech yesterday, this is what I made. I am a big fan of that guy so I will refrain from discussing his dog, his wife and his stimulus here. But that man surely inspires, how else do you think me who has to be up by 5:30 in the morning after a midnight feeding break, would start cooking at 9:00 on a work week night. I would have normally just served leftover dal with an omlette but I made this fiery dish instead.

Anita's tcharvan-olu was reincarnated in my home but with mushroom & potatoes. I didn't have a goat tied in my backyard and so had to resort to mushroom. It was wonderful to say the least.

Next I wanted to have it with taher. Though mustard oil is a staple at Bengali homes I had never had rice infused with mustard oil. Many a days back in my grandma's home, when the refrigerator was not in vogue, left over rice would be saved for next day by soaking the cooked rice in cold water overnight. For morning breakfast my ma & Aunts would some times have that with Mustard Oil, Green Chillies, raw Red onions and maybe Kaancha Posto(poppy seed paste). This rice was called Paanta Bhaat. My Ma was not fond of this and would usually avoid having it and never let me have it. My Kakima/Aunt however loved this rice and would often have it for herself and during summer holidays I would get a share of that "Paanta Bhaat" on some days. That is the closest I have come to have rice flavored with Mustard Oil

Taher, therefore excited me and satisfied me and the husband's taste buds fully. To do this cook rice with a little turmeric. Once the rice is done fluff it with a fork so that you can see the grains. Heat Mustard oil to smoking and then mix it with a little salt with the rice.

This with the mushroom-olu was bliss. This Kashmiri recipe is there to stay in our Bengali home for sure. I would insist that you use Mustard Oil for both Mushroom-Olu and Taher. Both dishes are very simple and light if you consider the spices, it is the Mustard Oil that lends it the flavor, with any other oil it may taste flat. So go ahead and buy that bottle.

32 comments:

In summer my granny soak the leftover rice and next day goes with left over tamarind fish gravy :) or green chilli and raw pearl onion. Thinking itself makes drooling, I imagine with mustard oil or posto, could be something different.The curry is very quick and droolworthy!

Congrats on u're new domain! The alu and mushroom curry looks inviting as mushrooms ae my favorite I can eat it in any form. I have never tasted leftover rice as during childhood its for only elders and now we cook rice only once in a day and hence no leftovers for the next day. But to get a feel of it I often had warm rice with soaked in water and salt. slitting a green chilli and stuffing it with 2-3 pinches of salt and biting them once in a while can make you empty a big bowl in minutes! Thats my staple and favoite during me second pregnancy :)

Sandeepa, will you be able to put up the recipe of the Paanta Bhat sometime? I made methi-paneer with mustard oil today, from a Punjabi cookbook. It was for potatoes, but I didn't use potatoes. I'm looking forward to lunch.

Hi Sandeepa,Great blog. I have bookmarked it and will be coming back often. I dont know abc of bong cooking. My sis-in-law sent me the link from US and said that it is a great site. I agree with her. Looking forward to great recipes. I am especially interested in the dals, mutton and sea food :).Take care and keep it up!Yps

I guess the soaked rice thing was done all over in those days to preserve the rice. My Mummy loves it so much that she soaks left over rice even now sometimes to have it with thin buttermilk next morning seasoned with a dash of salt and pepper. Tastes great. Though Tambrahm I am in love with mustard oil and always have a stock. The rice you mention is new to me and I am definitely trying this! Mushroom olu sounds great too.

Came here some time back too but could not get through to the comment box!

Chamthe green chilli and raw onion is same, would love to have that tamarind fish gravy. My granny(mom's mom) used to make a chaatni with tamarind and fish head, was yumm

NagsGoes great together

LKhub soja eta kora, jhotpot hoy

SomaAmi Taher ki tai jantam na er age

ACH

I too have mustard oil with rice only when I am having aloo-seddho or similar stuff, but this was definitely great when paired with this dish.

NirmalaI have never had soaked rice again after those days which were incidentally looooong back. Strange thing is I don't even feel the urge :)

SuparnaThanks :)

SraI have not had Paanta Bhaat for a loong loong time but you can do what Soma and Nirmala said -- SOak fresh cooked rice in water for some time and then have it with mustard oil, salt, green chillies and raw onion. Only in this case it will not be fermented and so that slight sourness will not be there

HC:)

AshaI don't have a night light setting to take pics. This was taken by my kitchen light and that too with the little one on my hips. I did not even attempt to take a better one !!!

The first time I tasted mustard oil was in a pickle when I visited Bagdogra and Darjeeling over some school holidays. Did not like the taste of it the firsttime but by the time my vacation was done, I loved the smell & flavor of it so much that I packed bottles of pickles to take back home!

Dear SandeepaBhag-gis backyard-e goat bandha chhilona..ta-hol-e ei recipe ta khaoa hoto-na..I am going to make this exactly as per your recipe, it has a slight departure from Kashmiri, though.By the way all Kashmiri dishes are cooked with mustard oil by default unless ghee is specified. No other oil is used.I am in a good mood to cook roganjosh and reshmi biriyani shortly and will put few lines on kashmiri dishes. Taher traditionally will have bit of akhrot paste, holud, salt and ghee or mustard oil. The mustard oil generally may not be raw but heated, saturated with hing, cooled and stored in bulk for cooking all other dishes.Ar funda dekha-te hob-ne..ei dish ta rendhe janachhi Ka-to bhalo khelam..Bhaslo theko

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Predominantly a Bong, who loves being a Mom and loves to cook among other things for the li'l one and the big ones.She loves to write too and you will find her food spiced up with stories. Mainly a collection of Bengali Recipes with other kinds thrown in, in good measure. A Snapshot of Bengali Cuisine